The sudden, agonizing death of their Hive Mother would instantly break the thousands of Layer 2 Commanders and soldier ants out of their docile trance and plunge them into an apocalyptic, vengeance-fueled frenzy.
They would strip the flesh from his bones and eat him alive before the Blood-Jade even finished glowing.
"Yeah, let's not push my luck," Sol muttered, his hand dropping away from his leather pouch. "I like having skin."
He completely discarded the idea of anchoring her for now. He needed to address his critical HP first.
Sol gritted his teeth, forcing himself to sit halfway up. He looked down at his ruined torso. His dark leather armor was melted to his seared left shoulder, and his chest was a canvas of deep, ugly purple bruises. Every breath felt like jagged glass.
"Right. Can't let the hyper-regeneration set the bones crooked," Sol winced, his face pale and slick with cold sweat.
